Tag: syrian immigration

+ Amid strong resistance from many U.S. lawmakers to taking in Syrian refugees – and just across a relatively porous border – Canada is preparing for a flood of immigrants from the war-torn country. As many as 900 Syrian refugees could land each day – or 6,300 per week – in Toronto and Montreal starting as soon as December 1, as part of “Operation Syrian Refugees,” according to documents obtained by CTV News. They will be screened by Canadian officials, who will examine documents and biometric data.

+ Bill and Hillary Clinton have spent over four decades cultivating a global network of donors, raising at least $3 billion for their political campaigns and the family’s charitable foundation, according to a stunning investigation by the Washington Post. Along the way, the power couple pioneered fundraising techniques “that have transformed modern politics and paved the way for them to potentially become the first husband and wife to win the White House.”

+ Almost two dozen California lawmakers are spending this week in Maui on an all-expenses paid (airfare, hotel rooms, food) trip to an annual conference hosted by the Independent Voter Project, raising concerns about special interests buying influence, reports the Sacramento Bee. “Nobody thinks you’re going to Maui to learn things,” said Jack Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College. “If the purpose of the trip were to educate lawmakers about the problems of California, they would go to Fresno.”

+ Inside the money-laundering scheme that Citi overlooked for years: The bank’s Banamex USA group didn’t file a suspicious activity report when Mexican national Peña Arguelles shuttled $59.4 million through the account – even after his brother Alfonso was killed in late 2011, his body dumped at the Christopher Columbus monument in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, with a banner draped above it accusing Antonio of being a money launderer and stealing from the Zetas, reports Bloomberg.